Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-13


+ mentality burst the circumscribeC
bounds of sectarian orthodoxy anc
seek room in independence for the prope,
! expansion Of their faculties. It may be
that Dr.. McGlynn could no longer con
tinue priest in the Catholic church; VI,
have instances Innumerable, from Luther
down, where clerygymen Of years expert
ence have left this and other churches
actuated sometimes by Jealous pietl
and sometimes by less excellent mo.
tives. 1t may be that he is so firmly
wrapped up in and welded to the new
land theory, promulgated by Henry
George, that he believes the hastings ant
the platform superior TO the lowly step:
leading up TO the altar Of st. Stephens
church, for the teaching Of true Christian.
iiy; and this is net improbable
when it is remembered that he has said
frequently that nc great reform could be
q success unless underlying it were
CREST religious truths and inspiring il
wss a great religious fery0r. The IN
yielding teuacity with which he clings to
the church would indicate that he still
believed in its ancient teachings, but,
ike Luther, believed that it had fallen
into error through the mistakes Of its Of
fcers, or, as he puts it, Through the ma
chine" Whether either, any or oil OF
these reasons be the true causes which
led TO mis- being communicated, it is
certain that he has acted in bad taste
and with questionable propriety. His
attitude towards the Roman Catholic
Church is unique and peculiar. He did not,
as q great many priests do, pay for his
own education and receive ordination as
g reward for his labor. He was taken in
youth by the Roman church, educated ct
the Propaganda in Rome and, after Or
dtnation, WAS fully equipped and sup
| piled with all necesssries and sent out as
a missionary. IT. instead Of performing
his Isbors among the heather of New
York, he had directed his footsteps TO the
heather OF foreign lands, ne would to-
day and TO the end OF his life be drawing
support and sustenance from the Propa-
gand& If it had not been for
the education given him by the
Catholic church it is not probable that
be would ever have developed into any
thing more than an ordinary man. Take
away from him even now MS priestly
functions and ecclesiastical dignities and
he lowers from shining light in g greet
religious institution to lieutenant in
social organization built upon Utopian
and impossible tenets. His natural ability
must be conceded, but all that he is the
Catholic church has made him. It was
neither wise nor manly, therefore, in him
to array himself against his church and
parade his own contumacy as the wrong
of the church. He is the creature, the
church the creator, and he cannot hope to
be the greater, from q sectarian stand
point. "The machine, Yin its dealings with
him as q priest, may have deviated
from his ideas Of propriety and Invaded
his rights as an American citizen, but he
should remember that this same machine
gave him his Importance by making him
a priest. DR.. McGlynn would be IN
worthy his great talents did he continue
to do violence to his conscience and eff
feet to believe and teach outwardly what
in his heart ne repudisted. He had the
undoubted right to enlist under the ban
ner of Henry George if he so desired, and
when this act Of his was found to conflict
with his church he had the undoubted
right TO leave the latter to its sins and err
roTs; but few will support him in his at
tempt to make the church deny itself and
its own teachings and follow him. The
constituted authorities represent the
church and he should either obey or
resign. Essaying the role of reformer
and attempting to fashion an institution
which has done so much for him, was q
species Of ingratitude not at all com
mendable. He may secure renown and
glory in his new field of labor, but he
csn not make people believe that he has
adopted the proper means to accomplish
his purpose. WHAT his future will be
is OF no more Importance to the public
than the future of any other citizen.
From Catholic standpoint he is 8 !
Protestant to oil intents and purposes,
and devout Catholics will refuse to
be led by him. His revolutionary
theories on the land question are
of such q nature as to afford |
him little hopes of being received |
with any degree of enthusiasm
by Protestant Christians. The applause
which usually greets those whose sbju-